The golf influencer Paige Spiranac is speaking out to defend the WNBA star Caitlin Clark after she was hip-checked over the weekend.
Spiranac Defends Clark
During Saturday’s game between Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, Clark was hip-checked to the floor during the third quarter by Sky guard Chennedy Carter, who led the team with 18 points off the bench. This didn’t sit well with Spiranac, who fired back on social media.
“Imagine bringing millions of new fans to the game which in turn will make every player more money and yet they treat you like this,” she wrote alongside a clip of the incident.
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” she added.
Related: Golfer Paige Spiranac Defends Caitlin Clark – ‘Women Can Be Absolutely Vicious’
Carter Sounds Off
After the game, Carter refused to comment when asked about the hard foul.
“I ain’t answering any Cailtin Clark questions,” she said.
The New York Post reported that Carter later fired back at her naysayers on Instagram.
“I grew up with all brothers,” she wrote. “All we did is fight and argue. I love the hate more than the love what don’t yall understand. I’d rather you hate me [than] love me and I mean that on my dead aunt.”
Clark Responds
Clark said Carter’s move wasn’t a “basketball play.”
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Clark told The Associated Press. “It is what it is. It’s a physical game. Go make the free throw and execute on offense, and I feel like that’s kind of what we did.”
“I grew up playing basketball with the boys,” she added. “It’s always been physical and feisty and you have to find a way to hold your own.”
Indiana Fever Coach Christie Side praised Clark for how she handled the hard-foul, which she described as “a non-basketball play that needed to be called in that moment.”
“She showed it last night,” she said of Clark maintaining her composure. “Got up and kept playing. All she did was ask the officials to review it. They didn’t want to listen to it. I applaud her for how she handled it last night.”
Related: Fever GM Demands WNBA ‘Cleanup The Crap’ After Angel Reese, Chennedy Carter Go After Caitlin Clark
Clark Gets The Last Laugh
Clark ultimately got the last laugh. Indiana Fever beat Chicago Sky 71-70, snapping a three-game losing streak.This was also the Fever’s first home win of the season. Clark totaled 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and one steal.
The day after the game, the WNBA upgraded Carter’s foul against Clark to a flagrant-1 violation after reviewing the play. Throughout a regular WNBA season, players accumulate points for flagrant fouls. They then receive suspensions if they reach a certain number.
The WNBA has also fined the Chicago Sky $5,000 for failing to ensure that all players comply with league media policies.
This comes amidst widespread speculation that Clark’s fellow WNBA players are jealous of the attention that she’s been receiving. In the end, Spiranac is right in pointing out just how many eyes Clark is bringing to the WNBA games. This will only benefit everyone in the WNBA, so her fellow players might want to appreciate that.